Katjiua sets conditions for returning govt car
Professor Mutjinde Katjiua, who maintains he is the duly elected paramount chief of the Ovaherero, said he will not return a government car assigned to the Ovaherero Traditional Authority (OTA) based on a complaint by suspended chief Vipura Kapuuo.
According to him, the order from government to impound the vehicle was based on a case opened by Kapuuo, and not by government itself.
“The Chief’s Council suspended Kapuuo, to whom you want to take the car to. As we speak, Chief Kapuuo is a suspended chief, so I do not know where you are taking the car to. Provide me with a letter; don’t sent the police with a CR number that Kapuuo has used to launch a case. So, bring your CR number and your letter and I will give you the key.
“I have the key, but I won’t give it to you today because you came with nothing and that is the end of it. We will hand this old car to you for good. Don’t think that this authority will be dependent on government or beg your ministry,” he fumed.
Necessary measures
According to Katjiua, it is clear that the ministry is at the beck and call of Kapuuo. He further accused the ministry of impounding the OTA car while overlooking other traditional authorities.
In the face of Katjiua’s refusal to hand over the vehicle, executive director of the ministry of urban and rural development Nghidinua Daniel said the ministry will “take the necessary measures”.
Daniel emphasised that the vehicle is an asset and property of the Namibian government and must therefore be returned to its owner.
He added that the state has applied the same measures when there was a leadership dispute within the Ondonga Traditional Authority.
Not taking sides
The ministry of urban and rural development has further strongly rejected claims that the state has taken sides in the ongoing OTA dispute. This according to Daniel, who said government does not want to be part of the dispute, despite what Katjiua believes.
“There is a problem currently and that is the leadership dispute. Government does not want to be part of this dispute,” he said.
Cracks started showing in OTA after Katjiua took the position of paramount chief, to which – according to Kapuuo - he ‘unlawfully’ ascended.
Katjiua, however, insists he was duly elected at Onḓerombapa in the Aminius district earlier this year, replacing the late Vekuii Rukoro.
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According to him, the order from government to impound the vehicle was based on a case opened by Kapuuo, and not by government itself.
“The Chief’s Council suspended Kapuuo, to whom you want to take the car to. As we speak, Chief Kapuuo is a suspended chief, so I do not know where you are taking the car to. Provide me with a letter; don’t sent the police with a CR number that Kapuuo has used to launch a case. So, bring your CR number and your letter and I will give you the key.
“I have the key, but I won’t give it to you today because you came with nothing and that is the end of it. We will hand this old car to you for good. Don’t think that this authority will be dependent on government or beg your ministry,” he fumed.
Necessary measures
According to Katjiua, it is clear that the ministry is at the beck and call of Kapuuo. He further accused the ministry of impounding the OTA car while overlooking other traditional authorities.
In the face of Katjiua’s refusal to hand over the vehicle, executive director of the ministry of urban and rural development Nghidinua Daniel said the ministry will “take the necessary measures”.
Daniel emphasised that the vehicle is an asset and property of the Namibian government and must therefore be returned to its owner.
He added that the state has applied the same measures when there was a leadership dispute within the Ondonga Traditional Authority.
Not taking sides
The ministry of urban and rural development has further strongly rejected claims that the state has taken sides in the ongoing OTA dispute. This according to Daniel, who said government does not want to be part of the dispute, despite what Katjiua believes.
“There is a problem currently and that is the leadership dispute. Government does not want to be part of this dispute,” he said.
Cracks started showing in OTA after Katjiua took the position of paramount chief, to which – according to Kapuuo - he ‘unlawfully’ ascended.
Katjiua, however, insists he was duly elected at Onḓerombapa in the Aminius district earlier this year, replacing the late Vekuii Rukoro.
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